WORKERS AND SUPERVISOR INJUREDIN FRACAS AT HOLCIM-ACC EXPANSION PLANT IN JAMUL

WORKERS AND SUPERVISOR INJUREDIN FRACAS AT HOLCIM-ACC EXPANSION PLANT IN JAMUL

WORKERS AND SUPERVISOR INJUREDIN FRACAS AT HOLCIM-ACC EXPANSION PLANT IN JAMUL

Dear Friends,

Yesterday a Supervisor Sushil Kumar Singh of Haji Baba Contractor, engaged in the Holcim-ACC Expansion Plant Jamul hit and abused workers. Today in anger a number of workers beat him. Following there was chaos with contractors and bouncers beating workers and workers retaliating. Finally the police were called and they have lathicharged the workers injuring several.

The union of contract workers in the old plant - Pragatisheel Cement Shramik Sangh - are not being permitted to meet the workers or enter the area where the incident has taken place.

The suprevisor Sushil Kumar Singh and a worker Sujaan Patel - both seriously injured have been admitted into the Apollo Hospital.Large number of other injured have been whisked away by the police which has cleared the area.

PCSS has been bringing to the notice of the Holcim Management and the authorities that the workers in new Expanision Plant - who are mostly migrants from other states and are here at the mercy of the contractors are being severely exploited by low wages, unpaid wages, illegal deductions, long working hours and lack of safety. There have been a number of accidents in the past few months. But hardly any heed has been paid to this serious situation.

It is pertinent that the same Haji Baba contractor was responsible for an accident in the Grasim (Ultratech plant) in Baloda Bazar (Cg) a few months ago when a silo collapsed, and an accident in ACC Bargarh. Odisha about a year back.

When PCSS representatives tried to photograph an injured worker being carried out of the expansion plant, they were shooed away. We are attaching here whatever photos it was possible to take.

Please help us in -

1.  Demanding black listing contractor Haji Baba Constructions by the Labour Department and enquiries into the present incident as well as the accident at Grasim (Ultratech) Cement, Baloda Bazar.

2.  Demanding from the Holcim management that they permit PCSS to vist the site, talk to workers and represent them so as to resolve their grievances.

3.  Demanding that the Labour Department ensure that  Holcim Management should not victimise workers, or discharge workers in regard to the incident today but should consider their grievances.

4.  Demand that the Labour Department ensure that the injured workers be given full treatment and medical leave and necessary facilities by the Company.